Akindele’s ninth goal of the period proved to be the variance-maker in a match that nudged the Lions closer to the playoff line, and also additional a spotlight second to what has been a transitional yet favourable year for the Canadian worldwide. 8 months ago, Akindele was traded to Orlando by the FC Dallas staff who drafted him in 2014 and deployed him in 131 matches over a 5-calendar year span.

“The major attraction for us when we appeared at Tesho was that he’s a staff person,” O’Connor explained adhering to the match. “I area terrific price on players that set the crew initial and you get performances like that. When you want to dig in, you have acquired men and women who dig in.”

“He’s also acquired incredible good quality,” O’Connor ongoing. “I consider his ending is underrated. I believe he’s somebody that is really able of scoring objectives no matter if he performs remaining of the entrance 3, no matter whether he performs central of the front three, I consider he has an capability to rating aims. I’m delighted for him simply because he’s a great young person. Credit to his spouse and children the way he handles himself and how really hard he works.”

Akindele, who took an unconventional route to MLS as a result of the Colorado Faculty of Mines, expressed happiness about his time in Orlando to date.

“The coaching staff members thinks in me a lot,” he noted. “My teammates have been supplying me fantastic crosses.” He also expressed that “the opportunity to be on the area more often” and “just a blend of a lot of points” have authorized him to make the most of it.

He credits his latest objective, incorporating to his ideal season tally so considerably, to the function that teammate Dom Dwyer did in the guide-up to his complete.

“[He produced] a fantastic tough operate into the box and I observed some place form of just close to the 6,” Akindele stated. “I believed if I go there and the ball will come to me then I could score. I really do not even feel Carlos [Ascues] looked he just put the ball into a excellent space and I was there and able to complete it . . . Dom took two or 3 defenders absent with him, which led to the purpose.”